The Groove Train - Banyule

After trying the Thai Calamari Salad at other Groove Train restaurants, I was disappointed with the version at Plenty Valley. It did not meet my expectations at all. The salad lacked coriander, mint, and Thai dressing, and was only mediocre and too creamy. The manager I spoke to was also rude, so I will not be returning to this Groove Train location for a meal. I will not be visiting this restaurant again.

Staying cozy with a delicious Warm Thai beef salad filled with lettuce, semi-dried tomatoes, crispy shaved sweet potato, onions, beef, and more! This generous portion is very tasty! Despite the temperature being 17°, it feels more like 12.6° with the wind chill - just a bit cooler than Queensland!

Positives: - The function room area was nice - The meal sizes were large - There was ample car parking available - Take home containers were provided upon request - The prices were reasonable Challenges: - There was not enough staff, with only one person allocated to serve and take bar orders in the function room - The bar service was slow, resulting in long waits for drinks - There were numerous errors in the meal orders, with incorrect dishes brought out (especially desserts), some meals being missed entirely, and steaks being seriously overcooked despite clear order instructions - The meal service was slow due to the lack of staff - The desserts served were not as described on the menu - The drinks were expensive - While the meal sizes were generous, the food was nothing to write home about, being quite basic and average - The staff appeared grumpy and overworked, indicating a high level of stress - A significant amount of food was wasted due to oversized portions In conclusion, I believe this restaurant may be suitable for a small group dining experience, but I would not recommend it for larger functions. I have had satisfactory meals here with friends in the past, but additional staff should be requested for any future events. Moreover, I was made to feel uncomfortable for paying in cash instead of with a card, as one waitress appeared displeased when I used cash to purchase a drink.

After I had thai calamari salad in other restaurants of the groove train, I was underwhelmed with the plenty valley offer. not to scratch. no coriander, mint or thai dressing, only moderate and creamy! the manager I spoke with was rude and this Groove train... restaurant is from my list of places to eat. never again!

Eating was average, large portions. the prices have increased somewhat, but after shutdown I guess. It was disappointing that additional fees for using a credit card were added when contactless payment is expected. great that they have reopened after closing, but they do not have to use customers by paying with the card. they have good social distancing islands and records that come. some serve too large and food goes to waste. risotto was big enough for two people!